The new bill was primarily motivated by a separate New Jersey bill that passed the State Senate earlier this year (Senate Bill Number 460), which would “prohibit [the] State [of New Jersey] from disclosing New Jersey driver’s license holders’ personal information to other states seeking to issue speed camera or red light camera citations.” However, Dinowitz’s new law would apply to any state that seeks to implement a similar blocking measure.

The Dinowitz bill, known as the “Stop Careless Outsiders From Flouting Local Authority Wantonly” or SCOFFLAW Act (A10686), would grant, if passed, authority to the NYC Commissioner of Transportation to “impose a fee of fifty dollars [$50] on any vehicle entering The City of New York which displays a license plate from a state which does not provide or exchange reasonably necessary information … for the purpose of permitting the imposition of fines or penalties for traffic infractions.”

The SCOFFLAW Act specifies that such traffic infractions include those issued through traffic control signal monitoring systems (commonly known as red light cameras), speed control devices (commonly known as speed cameras), or other photo-monitoring systems that may be authorized for use by law enforcement authorities.

According to Dinowitz’s office, red light cameras have been in use in New York City since 1994, resulting in a decline of over 84 percent for average daily violations issued at each camera location. The assemblyman’s team said speed cameras have been in use in New York City since 2013, resulting in a similar 60 percent reduction of violations at each camera location.

In the context of the announcement of the bill, Dinowitz said, “It is absolutely ludicrous, and frankly a dereliction of the power of public officials, to attempt to create a system whereby drivers from one particular state would be able to recklessly ignore our traffic safety solutions.”

He added that he hoped the New Jersey general assembly would reject the bill which he said was “irresponsibly passed by their State Senate.” He said solutions such as the ones he proposes are not new and they work. “Drivers from every state should be held to the same standard,” he said.

“If a state wants to stop cooperating with our traffic enforcement methods in New York, then our City will be forced to expend more money to maintain similar levels of safety,” Dinowitz added. “This proposal simply offers a mechanism to pay for the increased enforcement officers or other tools that would be required by uncooperative neighbors.”